The Game
by eaglegal
Summary: A killer from Brennens past comes back to haunt her and Booth. He gives Brennen a reason to beleive in God and gives Booth a reason to never want to lose his Bones.
1. Chapter 1

"You ready to play the game" a digitally altered voice ran through Booth's phone

This story is based on a book that I love called Bait by Karen Robards and I know if any of you read it, it is almost alike but I love the story that I wanted to put Booth and Brennen in its place.

"You ready to play the game" a digitally altered voice ran through Booth's phone.

"What game?" Brennen could hear Booth's story and steady voice.

"Oh, you know, the game" the killer gloated and Brennen shook with anger. "I took your Bones, the tables are now turned. You thought you had me, well now I've got you" He gave a brutal laugh. "You come find her now, you better hurry though"

"We can work something out" Booth said and Brennen thought his voice sounded hoarse.

"Oh, ho" he sounded delighted. He casts a glance at Brennen to let her see him gloat. "Now you _are_ playing. Just one problem asshole, why should we work something out when you're never going to catch me."

"Oh, yeah" Booth said "I'm so close, I'm practically on your tail."

This made the man frown and cast a quick glance in his rearview mirror. For a moment, Brennen felt some hope. But then the man smirked and looked straight ahead.

"You're blowing smoke, dickhead. You're nowhere near me. I going to take your partner somewhere and shoot her dead. And I'm going to film it. Then I'm going to send it to you and make you watch"

"Wait" Booth said but the man wasn't listening. He held the phone in front of Brennen's face. She felt her heart race, she wanted to cry, scream, and beg all at the same time.

"Say bye" the man taunted.

"Booth" she said and couldn't help it, her voice shook.

She heard him take a quick inhale.

Then the man disconnected.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Did you get that?" Booth said sweating bullets. His heart was pounding and all he could think of was that his Bones was right there, making him feel like he could reach through the phone and take her.

He was going to kill her. Booth recognized the excitement in his voice to know that the sick bastard was serious.

All that preparing, getting Brennen when and were he did meant that he was going to enjoy Booths pain all too much.

Cullen was sitting besides him with a laptop and tracer.

_Please_ Booth thought _Please_

Cullen looked up with a white face. "Not enough time" he said.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Meanwhile back in the car……

"You're all part of my past that I want to keep in the past. Skeletons in my closest and now I'm cleaning it out." The man rambled on.

"I don't know what that means" Brennen said even though it was bullshit and she knew he knew it too. She was trying to keep him occupied while she tried to fumble for the phone that he threw on the floor.

"Give it up" he breathed and she realized that he was growing more agitated. With her heart pounding, stomach churning, she managed to pick the phone up.

He glanced at her and Brennen froze. Had he seen her? She only had one chance at this.

"I'm going to kill you then I'm going to tell him where you are. Then I'm going to kill him just for the fun of it."

Her fingers slid over the buttons and hit what she hoped was redial.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Booth was in the car with Cullen, driving back to headquarters, when the phone rang. He looked at the ID window.

_Error_ it said.

His heart stopped and when he flipped it open, he realized his fingers were shaking. There was only one reason why the sick bastard would be calling him, he feared.

He lifted the phone to his ear, praying harder then he ever had before.

_Please God, don't let him kill her… Please, Please_

"Booth" he said.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks earlier………

"Brennen was attacked last night" Angela was telling Booth as they were walking towards Bone's office.

"What!" Booth practically yelled as he stopped abruptly.

"Don't worry, she's fine, miner cuts and bruises. Someone broke in her home. She didn't see his face." Angela explained, and then dragged Booth down the hall.

* * *

So her throat hurt. So she was bruised and sore and scared. So she was operating on three hours of sleep. She was not going to let Booth know what happened. Brennen thought to herself.

"Bones, why the hell didn't you call me?" Brennen looked up to find Booth standing over her with a concerned look in her eyes.

"I didn't want to worry you over something like this; it's probably just some guy who thought he could get more from me then my money." Brennen explained even though she knew it was something much bigger. She recognized that smell last night but couldn't place it. And she hated that this was something that is making her terrified.

Booth was trying to stay calm because she wouldn't talk to him if he was otherwise. "Can you tell me what happened?"

_Just keep it short and sweet _Brennen thought.

"A man attacked me in my house" She swallowed before she remembered that swallowing hurt.

Booth tried to ignore the pained look on her face. "What time?" he asked.

"I don't know. I fell asleep at midnight and I was calling Angela around quarter after three" She said impatiently.

Their eyes clashed. A beat passed.

"Walk me through, step by step" Booth pressed on his heels, waiting for her to answer.

"I was in bed. Something woke me up and that's when I realized someone was in my room. I slipped out of bed. Two shots into my pillow. I ran for the door. The man caught me, slammed me up against the wall, held me by my throat and threatened to kill me. I tried to get away, but he was bigger and stronger and was more prepared to fight then I was." Despite herself, she let her voice wobble.

"Son of a bitch" Booth mumbled as he started to pace, not wanting her to see the concern on his face. He stopped and turned back to her.

"But you got away." He said softly "How?"

She met his gaze head on.

"I stabbed him in the leg with a pencil" she said steadily.

His eyes widened. "With a pencil?" He pursed his lips with a silent whistle. "Then what happened?"

Brennen took a breath. "He let go and I ran. Banged on a neighbors door and I called Angie"

Booth stood there flabbergasted. "And why not the police?"

"I knew you would find out and I didn't want you involved" Brennen explained defiantly.

"Now that worked well didn't it!" Booth exclaimed. He mumbled something incoherent then looked back at her. "Did the guy chase you?"

"He was chasing me at first…but then ran down the hall once I got inside the neighbors" she said.

"So you didn't see him at all?" he asked.

Brennen shook her head then looked away. He was watching her closely.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I'm fine"

"You said you stabbed him in the leg with a pencil?" Booth asked. Brennen nodded. He continued "So what happened to the pencil? Did you take it with you?"

Brennen frowned. It took a surprising effort trying to remember. "No, no I let it go and I ran"

He nodded. "Okay, what kind of description did you get from him?"

Brennen wet her lips. "He was taller than me. I was barefoot, so he was around six feet, a little less. Broad not fat but strong. Stronger then me, anyway."

"Did you smell anything on him?" Booth asked.

"Onions, I knew right away, it was onions." Brennen said even though she knew she was not going to tell him she recognized it from somewhere else.

"Onions, now that's something we can work with. We'll check you the fast food restaurants. See if they recognize anyone who ordered extra onions" Booth explained as if a light bulb went off. "Anything else?"

"He was wearing long sleeves, long pants" she said exerted. "Booth, now if your would excuse me, I've got bones that need my attention." She said this as she got up from her chair.

"O no, no no, you have no cases until we find this guy. I don't need you running off on a case with some creep after you." Booth said following her.

"So what am I supposed to do, sit around and let him win, no I won't. I'm going on with my life. I don't need your protection." She says to him.

"The thing is," Booth said getting right in her face. "I don't need your permission. I'm gong to stick so close to you till we find this guy that your either going to fall in love with me or have to find a new partner. Now, you ready to go home. I'm starved." He finished and headed out of the room with Brennen sulking behind.

* * *

**I am trying to updat every day but the thing is that I have homework and even though I already have written three more chapters, they are not typed up. So bare with me if its not as fast as you would like on the updates.**


	3. Chapter 3

Brennen wasn't really surprised to see Booth's SUV in her rearview mirror on her way home that day

Brennen wasn't really surprised to see Booth's SUV in her rearview mirror on her way home that day. She was, however, furious. She was gripping the steering wheel so tight, her hands were white. She realized that a wreck would not help, so she choose to ignore him.

By time she got into her parking space, she was thinking of where Booth would sleep. _The couch will have to do _she decided as she shut off the car.

Something stung her left shoulder and her windshields shattered. Glass rained down on her, then she felt something whiz past her face.

_A bullet._

Brennen threw herself across the seat.

She heard squealing breaks and a slammed door.

Booth wrenched opened her driver's side door. "Stay down!" he yelled at her, as he threw himself on top of her.

She realized that he was putting himself between her and the next bullet and that scared her even more.

_Please, if there is a God, keep him safe_ she thought to herself.

It felt like hours when she felt him ease off her. She reached back and grabbed his hand.

"Don't you dare leave me, Booth" she said with a tremble. Their gazes met. His eyes loomed above hers. His expression was grim.

"I'm not leaving you" he promised. He slid out of the car and lowered her with him to the ground. Her back was to the car and her knees were bent. Booth was crouched in front of her, blocking her from possible danger.

Brennen looked all around trying to see what was going on.

"It's alright, he's long gone by now" Booth said in a calm voice.

She kept her eyes on him because right now, he was the only thing she knew she could trust. She looked down to see that his gun was now being put back into its holster. She hadn't even realized he had it out.

When his hand came back, he rested it on her left arm. When she looked down, she saw it was covered in blood.

_Funny,_ she thought _I've been shot and I forgot all about it_

"You're bleeding" he said. "Don't faint on me" he continued and she guessed it looked bad because his hand napped the back of her neck and pushed her head down.

"I've never fainted before in my life" she tried to explain.

"Good, keep it up" Booth actually smiled when he said this.

"My shoulder, I think it hit my shoulder" she told him.

His hand went up and she realized that he was trying to lift her t-shirt.

"You got anything to stop the bleeding?" he asked.

"A couple tissues in my pocket, how bad is it?" Brennen asked trying to look down.

"Not bad, looks like a graze. But it's bleeding pretty good"

She could feel him moving. She looked up to see him taking off his shirt. I guess she never realized how nice he looked under, _what Angie called it, FBI body armor._

"What are you doing?" she asked trying to take control of her thoughts.

"It's called administering first aid" He wadded the shirt and flattened a hand on the back of her head, pushing in between her knees. He leaned over her to press the shirt against the wound.

He was so close, closer then she can even remember and she felt safe. She didn't want the feeling to go away.

She lifted her head in surprise.

"Hold still, you'll make it bleed worse" Booth said irritably as their gazes meet.

The wail of a siren made her look around.

"By time help comes" Booth said with a note of expiration.

* * *

By time the medics left, she did not want to go to the hospital, it was late.

Booth was now wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, when he watched the last police officer leave. And all the noisy neighbors.

"Now there is now way some random guy is after you" Booth said as he sat on the couch. "He'll be back to, he is going to keep on coming after you until either we catch him or your dead" The thought of just how close Brennen had come to death still weakened his knees. He had been pulling in when her windows shattered. One minute she was there, the next she was out of sight. Christ, he thought she was dead. He hated how that made him feel. She was his partner; it should not affect him like this.

He couldn't get the way her skin felt like silk. He never knew she smelt like strawberries.

His lips curled. God, think of a girl, he thinks of food.

Brennen looked at him and asked "Can I take a shower; the blood is starting to crust"

"Yeah, let me just get you a trash bag for your arm" Booth got up and grabbed one under the kitchen sink. "Just poke a couple holes in it for your arm and head. Then scoot it up everywhere else. It should keep the water off the wound."

When she got out of the bathroom she found Book relaxing on her couch watching t.v. From the sounds of it, he was flipping through the channels.

"Well, I'm heading to bed" she says as she passes the couch.

"Night" he says, taking his eyes off the t.v. she could tell he was checking her over but she was so tired, she really didn't care.

She fell asleep right away, realizing she like feeling the way she did when Booth was around.


	4. Chapter 4

When she awoke the next morning, Brennen realized she was trying way too hard to look good for him.

She found him in the kitchen with a box of doughnuts on the counter. He was leaning against it with a cup of coffee.

"All clear outside?" she asked him.

"A few birds and squirrels. Nothing potentially dangerous." Booth grinned at her. She hated that he made her breath catch.

"Glad to hear it" she said gaining composure.

"How's your shoulder?" His grin faded and his eyes grew dark.

"Fine" she answered.

He handed her a key and said "It's you your door. I had it replaced this morning. We found out last night that this guy has a good shot, so for today, I say we stay inside. At least until I can get more protection."

"Wait a minute, I just can't stay inside. I have my job, groceries, and dry cleaning…" Brennen fought.

Booth took a couple towards her, close enough so that he had to look down to meet her eyes. He reached out and cupped her face. "Your bruise is getting better" he said and this thumb brushed her cheek bone.

"Fine" he said when she still glared at him. "We can go do your shopping. But you are not getting out of my sight."

They spent the next few hours trying to ignore what happened back at the house.

* * *

By the time they got back, Brennen was exhausted and went to bed. Booth went back to his spot on the couch.

She was sleeping for a little bit when a noise startled her awake. She looked towards the corner of the room.

Someone was watching her.

"Bones" Booth's voice was so quiet; she thought he didn't say a thing.

"Booth" She wanted to pummel him, _what is he doing in here?_

"Shhh" He was now beside the bed. She could see his shadow. "Get up" His tone was urgent. Before she could answer, his arm was around her, picking her up.

"What?" She was now whispering. She stumbled against him. His chest was the only thing holding her up.

"Someone's coming up the fire escape. I want you to get in the bathroom. Lock the door." He was already hustling her out of the room. There was enough light in the hallway to see that one of this hands was around her waist, the other on a gun. They got to the bathroom and he pushed her inside.

"Lock it. And stay put. I'll be right back" he said in a low voice as he shut the door behind him.

She did and time seemed to tick by. _Why did I let him go out there? _She thought. _He could get himself killed._

That thought chilled her to her bones.

A brisk tap. "Bones?"

Exhaling, Brennen opened the door. Her knees gave out and she practically fell against him.

"Hey" he said surprised. He caught her by her elbows. "It's over. It's ok"

"Did you get him?" she asked.

"No" Booth must have known she was scared because he wrapped his arms around her. She dropped her head forward, against his chest. She should not be encouraging him like this. She should not be feeling this way towards him.

"He was about a third of making his way up your stairs when something must have spooked him" He explained not wanting to let her go.

"I'm glad you were here" she admitted.

"Yeah, me to" His tone told her that he had no idea how much she really meant it.

The air between them suddenly charged. His eyes slid to her mouth. Then his gaze went lower and he formed a frown. "What the hell?"

Confused, Brennen looked down to see the can of hairspray in her hands.

"Oh, uh--its hair spray" she said feeling foolish.

"I can see that" His lips twitched, and then he grinned. "Planning to style your hair?"

"I was in a bathroom; it was the only thing I thought I could use as a weapon" she said with dignity.

He laughed out loud. "Pencils, hairspray. No wonder I don't let you have a gun."

Outraged, she pushed him away. Or at least tried to. He wouldn't let her go.

"You don't want to let go" he said.

Then he kissed her.

She was so surprised, she did nothing to move.

He slanted his lips and licked into her mouth with a hungry urgency that sent fire down to her toes.

_It's been to long since I've been kissed like this, _she thought. Her fingers went straight into his hair, cupping the nape of his neck. She kissed his back with the same fire that she felt in her body.

He broke off the kiss, lifted his head and sucked in air.

"Booth" she whispered, going up on her tiptoes to reach his mouth again.

"Christ" he said and bent his head, kissing her harder. His mouth found the sensitive spot beneath her earn and then down her neck. He then went back to her mouth when she moaned. His hands moved up and down her body and she was doing the same.

A telephone rings in the background interpreting them. They parted slowly.

"I should get that" Brennen said out of breath.

"Don't turn on the light, if he's still here, it might scare him off" Booth explained as they both left the bathroom.

The whole time she was on the phone talking to Angela, she couldn't help but think about that kiss. It was a hot kiss. They both had that thought in their minds. When she hung up, she went back to the living room where Booth was standing with a pop in his hand.

She realized right there and then that wanting him was stupid.

"I'd say that's all the excitement for tonight" he said, not looking at her. "He won't be back tonight, you should go to bed"

_Okay _she thought, _I guess they weren't going to talk about what happened._

"The kiss was a mistake, okay?" she said.

He turned to look at her. "Now that should have been my line. I shouldn't have kissed you. I'm sorry."

"Stuff happens" she shrugged and sat down on the couch. _Well_ she thought, _if he didn't think it was no big deal, then why should she._

"Can we turn on the t.v. or is that violation of the blackout?" she asked.

"Go ahead" he nodded and sat down in a chair. "So what are we watching?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know many t.v. shows, you pick" she said as she handed him the remote.

He settled on a Seinfeld rerun.

She fell asleep with the kiss lingering in her mind and Booth could not take his eyes off her.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, once Brennen was up and dressed, she came into the kitchen to find Booth there.

"I got you a present" Booth said. _God, she was pretty with her big do-me eyes and her soft kissable mouth…Okay don't go there_ he finished his thoughts right there.

"What kind of present?" she asked suspiciously. They were the first words she's spoken all morning.

Booth handed her the bag he was holding.

Brennen opened the bag and pulled out a bullet proof vest. "You've got to be kidding me" Her eyes met his. She looked from the vest to her again. "Do I really need this?"

"Let's see, aren't you the person who got shot at a couple days back?"

Her lips compressed, her eyes flickered and he could tell that it had registered.

"So you wear it under your coat when we go out, right now I don't' care if it's just for chores. You wear it" Booth explained.

Brennen picked up a scarf and tied if around her neck. He realized that she was wearing it to hide the bruise where the sick fuck had choked her. Booth was suddenly so angry, he wanted to kill.

"I have to go to the office, real quick, just to get some chapters to my book that I left there." Brennen said once they were in the car.

"Fine, but it's in and out. I don't want you out in the open for too long." Booth said as he pulled into the parking lot.

She felt very vulnerable even though Booth was by her side. "You're doing great" he whispered in her ear as he held the door open for her.

"You've got nothing to be afraid of. I'd kill a fly if it even goes near you" he joked.

They go into the Jeffersion to find no one there.

Brennen looks at Booth scared.

"Don't worry," he said, "Cam told me that since you're off, they all took vacation."

Brennen nodded and headed to her office. Once she had the papers, they headed back home.

Once there, Booth looked in the fridge and started shuffling through it. "You need groceries"

"There's salad" she said with a straight face.

Booth made an unenthusiastic sound. His face was easy to read. He was still mad at the idea that she could have gotten hurt.

That thought rocked her back on her heels. She was falling hard for her partner.

Which was stupid and dangerous.

With that thought, Brennen said goodnight and headed to bed.

The light in the living room went out and the t.v turned on.

She sat up and swung her legs out of bed. She knew this was wrong. It was stupid, but she didn't care. She wanted Booth.

She headed out the door to find on one on the couch. She did see a light on in her kitchen. And that's where her feet seemed to be taking her.

"I am a sick man" Booth mumbled to himself. "She's my partner for God's sake" He was turning himself on. He could no get the smell of strawberries out of his head. In the shower before, he forgot shampoo and grabbed some of Brennen's. And now she smelt like he her and he liked it. She was his for the taking and he knew it. She wanted him. She would welcome him. All he had to do is walk into her room and…

_No, no, hell no, she was his partner and he would not compromise that _With that thought, he picked up the cartoon of milk and took a big gulp.

"Are you drinking out of the cartoon?" And outraged voice demanded out of the darkness,

Booth jumped and almost spit the milk out again.

Standing there in the doorway, glaring at him, she looked like trouble. Trouble with a capital T.

"It was the last little bit" he defended himself.

"Don't even get me started on how unsanitary that is" Brennen shook her finger at him.

He was now leaning back against the counter, his hands on both sides of his hips. He started at her, sexy as hell.

"Why are you up?" he asked.

"Flipping through channels is not my idea of a sleep aid" she crossed over to him and she saw him tense. She grabbed the milk cartoon and threw it away, making them about three feet from each other.

"So the TV's brothers you," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "Fine. I'll turn it off."

Brennen frowned and leaned against the table. This was not going to the way she thought. He was being too cool.

She wanted some heat.

"And do what?" she asked in a provocative tone. "Twiddle your thumbs?"

"I've done it before"

Her eyes narrowed. "All a part of the job, huh?"

He hesitated and then looked her in the eyes "Yep"

This wasn't working, he was getting cooler and she was getting ticked off.

_To hell with it. Subtlety was not her strong suit_. Brennen stepped directly in front of him. He stiffened and seemed to brace himself.

Her heart turned over.

"Booth…"

"Hmmm…" He sounded slights weary.

"Did it ever occur to you that you might become more then a partner?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, as in a relationship. As in I'm crazy about you, your crazy about me…" she said.

His eyes flared at her. She wanted heat. She got heat.

"For all kinds of reasons, we would be really bad right now" he tried to explain.

"Too late" she said softly and took a step nearer. She was so close, his jeans brushed his robe.

"What do you mean, too late?" his voice was rough and low.

"I told you, we have chemistry. And I hate to ignore science"

She smiled up into his eyes and he grabbed her elbows, holding her up. Her hands flattened against his chest. She was doing what he gave up; taking a gamble, going to it, dong something out of herself.

And what she wanted so badly was him.

"Bones…" he said with a strain in his voice "We should not be doing this"

She could feel the tension and heat in his body.

"Are you saying you're not crazy about me?"

A beat passed.

"No" he said "I'm not saying that at all"

And with that honesty, she went up on her tip toes and kissed him.

For a second, his lips were warm and soft, but then he deepened the kiss.

"Booth" she whispered, licking into his mouth. His hands let go of her elbows and went to her waist.

Suddenly he was kissing her back and her arms went up and wrapped around his neck.

He deepened the kiss, pulling her with him back against the counter.

She was melting for him. Needing him. He turned her body on fire.

His mouth left hers to trace kisses down her jaw. "You're beautiful" he whispered. "Sexy, gorgeous, edible" He nibbled on her earlobe.

Her breath caught and her knees gave out. It was a good thing he was holding her up.

Brennen breathed and he smiled at her. She clung to him, kissing him as if she'd die if she didn't.

"Booth" she whispered.

He lifted his head and looked at her. The gleam in his eyes was tender. "Don't' you think it's about time you started calling me by my first name?" His voice was low and had a hint of humor in it.

Brennen gave a shaky laugh.

"Seely" she said. Then "_Seely"_ because his hands were parting her robe and sliding beneath it, pushing if off from her shoulders. His hands moved all over her body, and her night gown.

"Seely" she moaned as his hands closed on her face.

Rocking her against him, he kissed her mouth, he neck, her ear.

"This is such a bad idea' he said in a thick voice, yet he kept pulling her closer.

"I don't care" she replied barley able to think about anything. Which was so not like her.

"Hell, me either" His voice sound like a growl.

His mouth fond hers again and she kissed him back with such power, she knew she could never go back. She wanted him more then she's ever wanted anything. She pushed her hands down under his shirt and roamed up and down his body.

He lifted his head at that and inhaled.

"God, your killing me here' he said in a low shaker voice. For a moment he just stared at her, and then with a quick movement, he pulled his t-shirt over his head. She could smell his hair, _was it strawberries?_

Leaning into him, she kissed his neck and rubbed her hands all over his chest again.

He grabbed her body and lifted her up on the table. _Now she knew this was not going to be sanitary._ He pulled the nightgown above her head and then it was off. He was kissing her again while pulling off his own jeans.

They moaned each's others name the entire night.

* * *

It had been great. Mind-blowing. Earth shattering. The aftermath was, well, awkward.

"So…" she managed to get out.

"Want your robe?" he asked holing it out to her.

"Thanks" she said at pulled it on. He did the same with his jeans.

"Tell me we did not just do it on the kitchen table?" she asked.

"Yeah" he said folding her arms across his chest. He leaned against the counter. His eyes gleamed up at her. "We did"

A thought popped into her head. _She_ had seduced _him_.

With that thought, she quickly escaped. "Well, I think I'll go take a shower"

"Sounds like a plan" he said as he picked up his shirt.

As she was walking towards the bathroom, one thought stuck in her head: stupid.

He entered the bathroom a couple minutes later with the smell of strawberries on his mind.

"What are you doing?" she demanded once as he pulled open the curtain.

"I forgot to tell you something" he said.

"What?" she said with a curious look in her eyes.

"I'm crazy as hell about you" he said as he wrapped his arms around her and reenacted what they did before.

I am very sorry that this chapter is so late and i am even more sorry that the next wont be for awhile but i am so busy latley with my softball and homework and my sisters graduation pary! Ahhhh! But i have it written down, it just takes me for ever to type it up. So once again i am very sorry.


	6. Chapter 6

She woke up the next morning, in her own bed

She woke up the next morning, in her own bed. Booth was nowhere to be found. She took a shower, got dressed and met Booth in the kitchen. He was drinking his coffee at the table. She saw that he wasn't going to mention what happened last night and she went to throw out the trash that has been piling up. She was out the door before Booth even looked up.

"Bones, hey Bones, where the hell ya going?" Booth yelled after her.

She made it to the dumpster before he was even out of the building. She threw the bag in the dumpster when, with her peripheral vision, she saw a tall shadow figure behind her.

"Hello Temperance" a man's voice said in her ear.

She turned and was planning to attack when something slammed hard into the side of her head and everything went black.

She woke up in a small garage an a guy who's head looked like a lunk loomed over her. "Get up"

"My feet…" she tried to explain.

"Oh jeez, untie her feet. She's not going anywhere" the man at the table told him. As he untied her, she fell to the floor.

Booth was sprawled in the floor, she saw from where she'd laid. His eyes were closed; blood trickled from his mouth and smeared on his white shirt. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was handcuffed to a truck's bumper.

"Get up" Lunkhead said again and hauled her to her feet. He set her down at a table.

'You know what we just heard on the police scanner, shit-for-brains?" the guy in the doorway demanded. "An APB for the fed. What the hell you have to dick around with him for?"

"I told you, we didn't have a choice?" Lunkhead said. "He came around the side of the truck just as I was throwing her in. He saw me. He was going for his gun."

They men turned to her and started asking questions about her father and she would not answer.

Glancing sideways, she discovered Booth's posture had changed. His body was the same but his muscles had tensed. She wasn't sure but it looked like he was looking at her.

"Hey, we don't have all day!" the guy grabbed her wrist and a hammer. She screamed, trying to shake him off.

"No, no I was thinking…" she babbled. "I'll tell you okay, I'll tell you"

Booth was watching her, she was sure of hit. He stiffened when she screamed. But there was nothing he could de. He was a helpless as she.

Something fell across the room and that gave Brennen an out. She lunged to get the hammer and hit the guy across his head. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the floor.

_Take that you creep,_ Brennen thought and gave her a mental high five. She looked at Booth. His eyes were open. She was struggling to sit up.

"In his left front pocket. The keys are in there" he said urgently as his gaze locked hers.

Heart pounding, Brennen stuck her hand into the man's pocket. She grabbed it fast and darted back to Booth.

"Hurry" he said.

She only paused a minute to realize that she would only make matters longer if she said something and pushed the key into the lock.

Scrambling free away from the bumper, he went over to pat the man down.

"What are you doing?" Brennen was already racing for the door.

"If he's got a gun, I want it" Booth said leaning over the man. Booth punched the man in the face just for the hell of it. "Shit" he said once he was done patting him down.

Brennen took that as having no gun.

"Come on" she urged him looking around to see that the coast was still clear.

"Oh, no" she said as she looked at the door and could see more men coming. "Someone's coming"

"Get in the truck" Booth said as he was already going to the garage door.

"Seely…"

"Here, these were in the slime balls other pocket. If we run out of time, if something happens, you go" He tossed her some keys.

"But…"

What he mean was leave him if necessary, which was not happening. But she wasn't going to argue at the moment. She scrambled behind the wheel.

Three things happened at once. Brennen turned the truck on. Booth goes the garage door up. And the man she knocked out was waking up.

"Hit it" Booth dove in the passenger seat beside her. "Now!" he yelled, slamming the door and Brennen hi it while slamming her door at the same time.

Lunkhead burst through the door just as the truck shot backward towards the wall. He ran towards them fumbling with his gun.

"Forward, go forward" Booth yelled in her ear. She slammed on the brakes, and then shoved it into drive.

The rear window exploded. Brennen ducked and stepped on the gas so hard the truck shot forward.

"Keep your head down" Booth said hanging onto the dash board as another bulled whizzed past Brennen's head.

"I'm trying" she said while staying crouched down low and still being able to see where they were going. The road was winding and the sides were thick with trees. Hills were all over and the sun was setting.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Booth said because they were coming up on a curve and she was not paying attention. She swung the wheel hard. In seconds they were around the curve, out of sight, but still on the road.

His face grim, Booth reached around her and put her seat belt on. Brennen barely even noticed.

"They must have been in the garbage truck" She hated when she didn't have the facts to back it up.

"I figured out that about the time I woke up in the back of it. Fat dude hit me with a stun gun. Just be glad there wasn't any garbage in it." Booth's voice was weary.

"There was a garbage truck near my apartment when I was shot" Brennen concluded. She glanced backward to see if they were behind them.

"Shit" Booth said and Brennen frowned wondering what she couldn't see. "We got trouble" he said as she looked forward.

A yellow car had just rounded the next bend and was hurtling toward them. It was in the middle of the road. And it wasn't moving.

Brennen made quick calculations and asked Booth, "Want to play goose?"

"Chicken, Bones, its chicken and yeah" Booth corrected her. She kept going straight. Booth sucked in air. His eyes widened as he couldn't take his attention off the car.

"Maybe you want to…serve right!" he yelled.

She did at the last second and they just barely missed the car.

"Jesus, no wonder I don't let you drive" Booth said looking at her.

Brennen kind of smiled back.

Then something hit the back of the truck with all its force. The trucks rear end turned sideways and that's when the whole truck served and went into the ravine.

Brennen yelled and stomped on the brake. Booth just held on and the truck hurtled downward and right into a line of trees. She was steering hard to the left when they hit the trees with a bang.

She must have blacked out because the next thing she knew, Booth was dragging her away.

"Hold on" he said and heaved her over his shoulder and took off in a dead run.

All Brennen could do was to clutch the back of his shirt and hang on.

He was running for a while when Brennen started to poke him in the ribs. He stopped and put her down.

"So what happened? It felt like we go rear ended, but when I glanced back, nothing was there" Brennen explained when he looked at her.

"I think they shot out a tire. Whoever was in that yellow car, that's what it felt like anyway" Booth kind of said out of breath.

"So, Mr. FBI Sniper, what's the plan?"

"They took my gun, my cell phone. We have no wheels. I say we walk. And hide." Booth explained letting her comment go.

Brennen had to think about the wheels part but then realized it meant no car.

So they walked in the direction they were heading before and hoped they could find some sort of help. While walking, Brennen tried to explain who the guys were and why they were asking about her dad. They made it up to the road again when a car came around the bend.

Booth pushed himself and Brennen to the ground when they heard their names being called. It was Cullen's voice

"Over here" booth yelled as he helped Brennen up. "What took you so long?" he asked as they got closer.

"Think finding this place was easy?" Cullen said with shock. "You can thank Zach Addy that we got here at all"

"Zach saved us?" Booth asked in a shocked tone.

"Yep, he used his tools to activate the GPS in your cell, Booth. Found the house, followed your tracks off the road and been looking for you since" Cullen explained.

"Way to conduct an investigation" Booth said and grinned.

When they got back home, Brennen realized she hasn't been this happy in years.

That didn't change until she woke up with a feeling that something wasn't quite right.


	7. Chapter 7

Brennen sat up and looked at the clock on her bedside table. Ten-forty p.m. She looked out the door to see the t.v. flickering. Brennen decided to get a drink so she made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and went to grab some juice when a hand clamped down hard over her mouth, yanking her backward as the butt of a gun jammed into her temple. She wanted to fight but her body wasn't cooperating with her.

"Make a sound and I'll put a bullet in your head where you stand" a man whispered in her ear. He had her pinned in some sort of head lock. She realized he was wearing latex gloves that made her blood grow cold. _No prints_ she thought.

"We can do this one of two ways" the man whispered. "You and I can walk quietly out your back door or you can make a sound that gets your boyfriend in there killed. Your call"

Brennen thought about Booth watching t.v. in the other room unsuspecting. If this was the same guy from her first attack, he had a silencer on his gun so he could shoot her and Booth would never know.

She nodded her head once as a way that let him know she was going to go quietly.

"Smart girl" he was already shoving her through the door.

"Now close the door and walk carefully down the stars" the man said as he pushed towards the steps.

She looked at the guys face and realized that the man was Ben Skinner, an ex-cop who Booth and Bones convicted of killing his wife then burning her body three years ago. He escaped 6 months ago and was on the run till now.

* * *

Booth hadn't heard any noise. Not that that was weird at eleven-forty at night but something about the quite bugged him. So he went to check on Brennen. And when he searched her whole apartment twice, he finally called Cullen.

"She's gone" he yelled into the phone. "She's gone. She's not hear. Cullen are your hearing me? Brennen disappeared from the apartment. He jimmied the security system." Booth's blood raced. His heart pounded like a trip-hammer. Booth looked at the system again and bells went off in his head. Not many people knew how to disarm this system without setting it off.

"He's a cop" Booth said trying to stay calm. "Get on the computer, get on the phone, I don't care how you do it, I want all the names of good or bad cops in the area that Dr. Brennen has ever come in contact with. Then get them on the phone and find out where and what they are doing right now." Booth said to Cullen as he appeared by his side after their phone call ended.

Booth had one foot out the door when his cell phone started to ring. He froze, reached in his pocket and knew who it was even before he answered.

"Booth" he said trying to keep his voice steady as icy terror flooded his veins. His gut clenched in fear of what he was going to hear next.

_Previous conversation…….. _

"_You ready to play the game" a digitally altered voice ran through Booth's phone._

"_What game?" Brennen could hear Booth's story and steady voice._

"_Oh, you know, the game" the killer gloated and Brennen shook with anger. "I took your Bones, the tables are now turned. You thought you had me, well now I've got you" He gave a brutal laugh. "You come find her now, you better hurry though"_

"_We can work something out" Booth said and Brennen thought his voice sounded hoarse._

"_Oh, ho" he sounded delighted. He casts a glance at Brennen to let her see him gloat. "Now you are playing. Just one problem asshole, why should we work something out when you're never going to catch me."_

"_Oh, yeah" Booth said "I'm so close, I'm practically on your tail."_

_This made the man frown and cast a quick glance in his rearview mirror. For a moment, Brennen felt some hope. But then the man smirked and looked straight ahead. _

"_You're blowing smoke, dickhead. You're nowhere near me. I going to take your partner somewhere and shoot her dead. And I'm going to film it. Then I'm going to send it to you and make you watch" _

"_Wait" Booth said but the man wasn't listening. He held the phone in front of Brennen's face. She felt her heart race, she wanted to cry, scream, and beg all at the same time._

"_Say bye" the man taunted._

"_Booth" she said and couldn't help it, her voice shook._

_She heard him take a quick inhale. _

_Then the man disconnected._

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"_Did you get that?" Booth said sweating bullets. His heart was pounding and all he could think of was that his Bones was right there, making him feel like he could reach through the phone and take her. _

_He was going to kill her. Booth recognized the excitement in his voice to know that the sick bastard was serious._

_All that preparing, getting Brennen when and were he did meant that he was going to enjoy Booths pain all too much. _

_Cullen was sitting besides him with a laptop and tracer. _

_Please Booth thought Please _

_Cullen looked up with a white face. "Not enough time" he said._

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Meanwhile back in the car……_

"_You're all part of my past that I want to keep in the past. Skeletons in my closest and now I'm cleaning it out." The man rambled on._

"_I don't know what that means" Brennen said even though it was bullshit and she knew he knew it too. She was trying to keep him occupied while she tried to fumble for the phone that he threw on the floor. _

"_Give it up" he breathed and she realized that he was growing more agitated. With her heart pounding, stomach churning, she managed to pick the phone up._

_He glanced at her and Brennen froze. Had he seen her? She only had one chance at this. _

"_I'm going to kill you then I'm going to tell him where you are. Then I'm going to kill him just for the fun of it."_

_Her fingers slid over the buttons and hit what she hoped was redial._

……………………………………………………………………………………………_.._

_Booth was in the car with Cullen, driving back to headquarters, when the phone rang. He looked at the ID window._

_Error it said._

_His heart stopped and when he flipped it open, he realized his fingers were shaking. There was only one reason why the sick bastard would be calling him, he feared._

_He lifted the phone to his ear, praying harder then he ever had before. _

_Please God, don't let him kill her… Please, Please_

"_Booth" he said._

Current time………

"You hate him, don't you?" Brennen said continuing the conversation. She had to keep him talking because if she could hear Booth's greeting, then Ben surely would. And she knew Seely was going to answer with his normal _Booth_ even if he said nothing else.

"Booth?" Ben glanced at her, "Hell yeah, I hate the bastard, dammed Boy Scout. He just wouldn't let up, has to find every bad guy. Partnered up with you because you're the best and one fine piece of meat. He knew I didn't kill my wife, but he had to put someone behind bars and he's FBI. Always hated me because I never wanted to go any further then the police force. So he found some lame ass evidence that made some two-bit dickhead of a judge see things your way. But ha, look where we are now."

"That was strong evidence and you did murder your wife. Then burned her thinking that would destroy evidence. But it didn't and you got caught" Brennen said hoping that she pushed the right button because she wasn't hearing anything from the phone. But then Ben's voice was getting pretty loud. "So why did you take me? Are you thinking that in order to get me back, FBI will just drop the charges against you and give you parole or even let you go free? Because Booth won't, if I die, he is going to make sure you pay big time."

Brennen was staring to sweat because they had been driving on back roads the whole time and it was starting to get dark. They had taken so many turns that she had lost all sense of direction some time back.

Ben just stared at her as he pulled down the bottom a hill. They seemed to be in a big bowl-like depression with hills rising all around. To her left, there was a field of knee high weeds and just beyond that was a small pond. Beside that was a small barn so Brennen concluded that they must be at a run down farm. And that did not give her a good feeling.

The tires bounced over grass and gravel. And then he stopped the car.

"I found this place yesterday," he said looking at her with a terrifying smile that made her blood run cold. "Just for you."

He turned off the engine and got out.

_O, please Booth hurry, I don't want to die _

The door opened on her side and Ben said "Come on dollface, time to get out" He reached around her and unfastened the seat belt. Then he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled her from the car. That's when he saw the cell phone on her seat.

"What the hell?" he looked at her, his face all ugly and scary. Brennen's legs turned to jell-lo.

Then a helicopter topped the rise and plunged toward them. A bright searchlight caught them in its beam.

"FBI! Freeze! Drop your weapon!"

Skinner did. He also let go of her hair and raised his hands in the air. Brennen's knees gave out and she curled into a ball on the ground, shivering from the cold.

Booth jumped from his car before it even stopped as he saw Brennen collapse and thought, for one heart wrenching moment, that he bastard had shot her. Ice cold terror shot through his veins. His whole life passed before his eyes. He raced towards her, crouching down besides her as the rest of his team went to arrest Ben.

"Booth" Temperance said in a voice like a sob when she saw that he was there, and wrapped her arms around him. He did a quick check to make sure she was in one piece, then gathered her up in his arms and buried his face in her hair and held her till they both stopped shaking.

"Lets go home" Bones said once as Booth let go to look at her face.


End file.
